CIFF

La Maternal

directed by
Pilar Palomero
year
2022
country
Spain
language
Spanish
runtime
120
closed captions
No
audio description
No
english subtitles
Yes
film contact
Elle Driver
film contact email
[email protected]
film website
elledriver.fr

Nominated for Best Film at Spain’s Goya Awards, this outstanding sample of social realism from Pilar Palomero (“Schoolgirls”) follows 14-year-old Carla, the newest resident at a Barcelona shelter for teenage mothers, as she faces the difficulties and social pariahdom of juvenile pregnancy. —M.G.


Immature, hot-tempered Carla just found out she’s pregnant. At 14, with unreliable support from her mother, Carla moves into a shelter for teenage mothers that will serve as a safe, stable environment for her and her growing baby. The close-knit group of residents swap parenting tips and origin stories, condensing the difficult details of the paths that led each of them to unexpected motherhood. Through study sessions, sleepless nights, and carefree hangouts to just be teenagers, the girls find the supportive family most of them have never had. Still, Carla struggles to navigate her simultaneous roles as mother and child. At once visceral, heartbreaking, and empowering, LA MATERNAL gives audiences a window into the realities of teen pregnancy and the incredible resilience of these young mothers. —A.B. 

Women of the World
Latinx & Hispanic Cinema
Only at Playhouse Square
International Narrative Competition
Reel Women Direct Award for Excellence in Directing By a Woman

Community Partners

mamafilm
Young Latino Network